Just the Basic Facts Only Coming Through in Waves
by Floydgoneawry
Summary: I can't explain, you would not understand...
1. Hello, Is There Anybody in There?

The last shafts of sunlight penetrated the white room.  
>A dim ray blinded Azusa Nakano when she opened<br>her eyes. She flinched and shut them quickly.

A curtain was closed, hiding the setting sun, and she  
>opened her eyes again.<p>

"Where am I?" Azusa asked, looking around as her  
>four friends came into focus.<p>

"You're in the hospital Azu-nyan," Yui replied cheerily  
>as she hugged the girl by the neck.<p>

"Why are you so happy about it!" the younger girl  
>asked in an exasperated voice while trying to wiggle<br>out of the hold.

Yui stopped nuzzling her cheek to look at her  
>quizzically.<p>

"Because you're awake now," she said as if the  
>answer was obvious.<p>

Azusa looked around at their smiling faces and began  
>to relax a little.<p>

Mio, Tsumugi, Ritsu, and Yui, dressed in their uniforms,  
>were all gathered around her bed. They were in a<br>private, corner room of the hospital. Large windows  
>made up the upper halves of the two walls facing the<br>outside. The white, generic curtains softened the  
>dusk that filtered through.<p>

Next to her bed was a metal stand holding two I.V.  
>bags filled with clear liquids. Her arm itched where the<br>needle was inserted. She felt what she could only  
>assume was a catheter, and the thin, downy stubble<br>on her legs that scratched against the sheets let  
>Azusa know that she had been asleep for a few days.<br>Her gown had wrinkled underneath her and was now  
>twisted and uncomfortable.<p>

"What happened?" she asked them.

The four girls exchanged worried glances very quickly.

"The doctor said you shouldn't think about that until  
>you're a little better," Mugi answered for them.<p>

If it had come from Yui or Ritsu, she would not have  
>acknowledged her, but since it was Mugi, Azusa<br>grudgingly accepted the answer before lying back  
>against her pillow.<p>

"I'll go tell the nurse you're awake."

The blonde left quickly, leaving the rest of the room's  
>inhabitants alone together in an awkward silence.<p>

Mugi returned after a few minutes and motioned  
>silently for the rest to come outside with her. With no<br>explanation, Azusa could only sit and wait.

The nurse came in and asked the expected:  
>How are you?<br>Are you in any pain?  
>Do you know what day it is?<br>Do you remember what happened?

When she learned that the answers to all of these  
>questions were one 'alright' and three 'no's, she left<br>after making a few notes on her clipboard and  
>showing the girl where the 'nurse call' button was on<br>her bed controls.

The four seniors came back in when the nurse had  
>gone.<p>

"Was something wrong?"Azusa wondered, hoping  
>that there was no problem that would draw her<br>friends away.

"No," Mugi answered.

"We only wanted to make sure we gave you some  
>privacy," Mio continued for her.<p>

Now that the girl was awake, she had many  
>questions, but most of them were related to the<br>reason she was lying in the hospital bed. Therefore,  
>she settled for learning minor details like the day,<br>time, and which hospital she was in.

With a little work, Azusa was also able to find out that  
>she had been unconscious for three days.<p>

"Thank you for coming to see me."

"We'll come back everyday," Yui promised.

"And I'll bring tea," Mugi chimed in.

"That's nice, but is it okay to have tea in the  
>hospital?"<p>

"Don't worry, we'll clean up after ourselves," Ritsu  
>reassured, "and being around familiar things might<br>help you remember the-"

"We actually have to go now," Mio interrupted,  
>"visiting hours are over, but we'll be back tomorrow to<br>see you."

The four girls left, and Azusa suddenly felt very alone  
>in the large, empty hospital room.<p> 


	2. Is There Anyone at Home?

Azusa Nakano awoke the next morning with the  
>dream still clear in her memory. Though most dreams<br>would fade quickly and become only hazy ideas, every  
>detail of the hospital, and the friends around her,<br>remained, as if she had created the story within her  
>conscious mind.<p>

"Who were those girls?" she thought.

She went through the usual routine: she ate  
>breakfast, brushed her teeth, changed out of her<br>pajamas into her school uniform and tied her hair into  
>their neat twin-tails. With a 'good-bye' to her mother<br>and father, she picked up her guitar and book bag,  
>and started her walk to school.<p>

"Jun," she asked during their lunch break, "do we  
>have a 'Light-Music Club?'"<p>

"A what?"

"A Light-Music Club. Light, as in 'not heavy.'"

Jun sipped continuously through the straw in her  
>juice-box while staring at her friend intently; waiting<br>for the punch-line of the joke.

"I guess we don't."

"Are you feeling alright today?"

Azusa batted away Jun's attempt to feel her  
>forehead.<p>

Later, while practicing in the Jazz Club room after  
>school, Azusa started playing a few chords that were<br>somehow familiar.

"When did you come up with that?" Jun asked in a  
>shocked tone.<p>

"Yui-senpai taught me last…" her sentence trailed off  
>when she realized what she had just said.<p>

"Yui-senpai? Who's she? Does she go here?"

Azusa shook her head, "No…forget it."

"Well, it doesn't really sound jazzy, but I'm sure  
>there's a song there. I wonder what we could call it-"<p>

"Fuwa Fuwa Time," Azusa stated, matter-of-factly.

"Oh…okay," she hesitantly agreed, "I guess that could  
>work."<p>

Azusa spent the next few minutes teaching Jun the  
>chord progression to the tune that was so readily in<br>her head. They played a little together as the bass  
>player slowly figured out a good accompanying part.<p>

"No, that's not how Mio-sen–…I mean...that might  
>sound better as a more driving bass line."<p>

Azusa played the part that she knew by memory and  
>Jun followed along.<p>

On her way home that day, the girl caught a fleeting  
>glimpse out of the corner of her eye. It was the image<br>of a girl with long, blonde hair and wearing a  
>Sakuragaoka school uniform about to board a train.<p>

She turned to look, but it was gone.


	3. Relax

The next day, Azusa was greeted the moment she  
>woke by her friends. They were all seated around her.<br>The bedside table was pulled up and there were five  
>cups of hot tea already poured.<p>

"How are you feeling today, Azu-nyan?"

"Alright I suppose," she answered as she looked at  
>the I.V. in her arm, "I just wish I knew what was<br>going on." The memory of her dream last night was  
>still fresh as she looked around the hospital room.<p>

"You'll remember in due time," Mio said, "just focus on  
>feeling better. That's why we're here."<p>

They all sat back around the bed and began their tea.

If asked, Azusa would not be able to recall what the  
>five of them discussed during their visit. She would tell<br>you that she did not really care. They were together  
>and that was enough for her. She felt happy with her<br>friends around.

When their visit was through, they cleaned up their  
>mess and left quietly, promising to return the next day.<p>

Only a second after the door closed, it opened again  
>and a different nurse from yesterday came in to check<br>on the girl who, until recently, kept her hair in  
>twin-tails. She had not bothered to tie them up.<p>

"How are you feeling today?" the nurse asked.

She was an older woman. One could tell that she had  
>been a nurse for years and enjoyed comforting her<br>patients. Without too much thought, she went  
>through the well practiced routine of changing the<br>bags that held the intravenous solutions hanging from  
>the metal rack while trying to start a conversation<br>with her ward.

"Alright, I just feel really hungry."

"I know," she said, pushing the girl's bangs back and  
>placing her cool palm against her forehead, "but it will<br>be a little while before you can handle solid food."

Azusa frowned a little, "but I ate a shortbread biscuit  
>with my tea today."<p>

"You did?" the nurse asked, a little concern in her  
>voice, "Who brought you food?"<p>

"My friends. You must have seen them leaving when  
>you came in."<p>

The nurse sighed, "I didn't, but tell them you can't  
>have any solids until you're a little better, alright?"<p>

"Yes ma'am," she answered, disheartened.

The pout on the girl's face made the woman give a  
>half-smile, half-frown. After a short silence, the nurse<br>began again.

"Tell you what, you're allowed to have ice-chips, and I  
>know I can get some flavoured syrup. Do you like<br>shaved ice?"

The girl nodded with a smile.

"Well then, let me go see what I can do."

The nurse patted the smiling girl on the head  
>affectionately before leaving.<p>

After the door closed, it almost immediately opened  
>again.<p>

It was the first nurse who had come to see her the  
>day before when she had just woken up.<p>

She came up to her bed and replaced the empty I.V.  
>bags.<p>

"Are you doing alright?" she asked with little real  
>interest.<p>

"I'm alright,"Azusa said, more distracted by the new  
>bags that now replaced the completely empty ones<br>the nurse was holding.

"You can't have any solids until the doctor approves,"  
>she began with a voice that was lacking in bedside<br>manner, "I can bring you some juice to drink though."

"I-I-I'm alright," she managed, "t-thank you though."

"Press the call button if you need anything."


	4. Some Information

"So, have you found your mysterious 'Light Music Club'  
>yet?" Jun teased as she sat down with her friend.<p>

"That's not funny," Azusa complained, "I've been  
>having strange dreams lately. Anyway, I was thinking<br>that we should make a Light Music Club on our own."

"You what?"

"There are so many people in the Jazz Club. We won't  
>be able to play on stage until we're seniors. We could<br>make another music club that's smaller."

"Someone's getting greedy."

"That's not true! I just have an idea that I really like."

"We'd need two more members and a teacher to  
>supervise," Jun reminded, "Not to mention a place to<br>practice."

"There's a music room upstairs that nobody uses. I'm  
>sure we could practice there."<p>

"The two other members–"

"They'll come."

"And the teacher?"

"We can find one."

"Where do you get this confidence from?"

After classes were through, Azusa insisted on bringing  
>Jun to the empty music room that would be their new<br>domain.

"We can have the drum kit here," she said excitedly,  
>as she explained their layout, "and we can set up the<br>tables back in this corner for tea."

"Tea?"

The twin-tailed girl was too excited to respond as she  
>continued the tour.<p>

"And we could put the amps over here when we  
>aren't practicing."<p>

After walking to the center of the room, her hands  
>clasped and against her chest, she looked around<br>with a beaming smile.

"This will be a great club!"

The two left the empty room a few minutes later. Jun  
>followed an excited Azusa as the girl hopped down<br>the stairs, turning every few steps to say something  
>to her friend.<p>

"Do you think we could find anyone from the Jazz Club  
>that might be interested?"<p>

"What if we were able to get a few brass players?"

"Do you know how to brew tea?"

"I think we should have training camps during the  
>summer and winter breaks."<p>

As she reached the last step, her foot twisted while  
>trying to face Jun again. She turned in time to see the<br>ground coming up to meet her.


	5. Show Me Where It Hurts

Azusa awoke from her light doze. She realized that  
>she had been slipping in and out of consciousness<br>throughout the day and quickly apologized.

"I'm sorry. You came to see me and I've been  
>sleeping."<p>

The four smiled at her.

"You need to rest Azusa," Mio reassured while patting  
>the girl on the head. "You don't have to entertain us.<br>Just let us know if you need anything."

Though it had been an hour since the four had arrived,  
>they had yet to have tea.<p>

"We were going to wait until you were a little more  
>awake," Mugi reasoned.<p>

The long-haired, previously twin-tailed, junior jumped  
>up in bed to show her enthusiasm. The rest pulled<br>their chairs in close as Mugi arranged the cups and  
>opened a thermos.<p>

Azusa lifted the warm cup of tea to her lips just as  
>Mugi placed a small slice of cream cake topped with<br>banana slices in front of her.

The girl looked at it longingly, but remembered what  
>she was told yesterday.<p>

"I'm sorry, but the nurse said I couldn't have any solid  
>foods yet."<p>

Mio, Mugi, and Ritsu all seemed to understand, but Yui  
>had a few tears well up in her eyes as she protested<br>this crime.

"B-but we made sure to bring your favorite!" she cried  
>while frantically invading the younger girl's personal<br>space.

Ritsu grabbed Yui by the back of the collar and pulled  
>her away from Azusa.<p>

"Hey, there's no use making her feel bad about it,"  
>Ritsu turned to make a presidential proclamation, "If<br>Azusa can't have any sweets, then I think it's only fair  
>that none of us have any either."<p>

"No! Thank you," their junior said graciously, "I don't  
>want to spoil your snacks though."<p>

Without a word, Mugi brought out the basket she had  
>used to carry the cake and each girl placed her piece<br>inside, though Yui did so with a hint of regret and  
>hesitation. Finally, she held it open for Azusa, who<br>placed hers inside as well, with the slightest smile on  
>her lips and tear in her eye.<p>

They drank tea without sweets and their conversation  
>quickly turned to Azusa and how she had been<br>adapting to her time in the hospital.

"I've been having a really weird dream lately."

The four exchanged quick glances.

"What's it about Azusa?" Mio gently coaxed.

"I keep dreaming that none of you exist."

"I don't exist!" Yui almost screamed.

Ritsu tapped her on the forehead.

"Is there anything else?" Mugi prodded.

"No…just that. I just live in a world without you."

"I could never live in a world without Azu-nyan!"

Another tap silenced her.

"I guess you shouldn't worry if it's just a dream," Ritsu  
>reasoned.<p>

"But it feels so real. And when I'm dreaming this feels  
>like a dream."<p>

"I'm sure they will go away with time," Mio reassured  
>the girl. "Everything will get better for you."<p>

The girls were getting ready to leave for the day. They  
>had finished packing the tea set when she asked.<p>

"Do you know if my parents have come by to see me  
>while I have been asleep?"<p>

Mugi dropped a teacup.

The noise from the flying pieces seemed to ring  
>throughout the room long after they had landed. The<br>four girls said nothing for a little too long.

"Not that we know of," Mio answered, hoping to  
>recover.<p>

Azusa knew that there was something wrong, but she  
>also knew that asking would only cause more<br>frustration on her part.

Ritsu hurriedly swept up the shattered pieces of the  
>cup while Yui tried to get Mugi to move from her frozen<br>stance.

* * *

><p>The doctor gave her an injection that night.<p>

"Just a little pinprick, but you may feel a little sick."

Azusa almost immediately began having trouble  
>staying awake. Very slowly, she closed her eyes and<br>rested against the pillow.


	6. There Is No Pain

When she woke, Azusa was lying in a bed in the  
>nurse's office of her school. She was wearing her<br>uniform and her hair was tied up as it always was.  
>The nurse was at her desk, cradling Azusa's guitar.<p>

The woman had long brown hair, wore glasses, a  
>white lab-coat, and had long slender legs that ended<br>with high heeled shoes.

She turned when she heard the girl start to move.

"Sawako-sensei?"Azusa asked.

"You know my name? But I don't remember ever  
>seeing you in here before. I suppose I'm glad that my<br>students know who I am."

"What happened?"

"You don't remember? Suzuki-san brought you here.  
>She said you hit your head."<p>

Azusa reached up and felt the bandage on her  
>forehead. The touch brought the pain back, as if her<br>body suddenly remembered the fall.

The patient's eyes traveled down the teacher's body  
>to her guitar.<p>

"Oh, I hope you don't mind me playing it. I wanted to  
>check to make sure it wasn't damaged and I couldn't<br>help myself."

"You still play," the girl said, mostly to herself.

"I do when I can. How did you know I used to play?"

"Just a guess. Sensei, I know this is sudden, but  
>would you like to supervise a new club?"<p> 


	7. A Distant Ship's Smoke

'There has to be something wierd that can help me prove that this is the dream,' she thought to herself.

* * *

><p>Azusa watched as the older nurse changed her empty I.V.<p>

"Who's the other nurse that comes in every night?"

"Other nurse?"

"She's younger and usually comes in after you."

"Oh, her…she's new. She hasn't been working with patients as long."

After making sure that the new bags were dripping properly, she patted Azusa's head and left.

The door opened again shortly after the first nurse had left.

Not a word was spoken as she walked to the patient's bedside and immediately went to work.

Azusa watched as the younger nurse changed her empty I.V.

"Who's the other nurse that comes in every night?"

"Other nurse?"

"She's older and usually comes in before you."

There was an awkward silence as the young girl waited for a reply.

"There's no other nurse assigned to this room at night but me."

* * *

><p>It was becoming harder and harder for sleep to come.<p>

Azusa began dreading the time when her eyelids would start to droop.

It was in fact this brief time before they closed completely that she would experience her most restful periods.


	8. I Can't Hear What You're Saying

When she woke, she was in her bed at home again.  
>The alarm was ringing, telling her that it was time for<br>school.

There was very little for her to pay attention to that  
>day during class. While lessons in history,<br>mathematical functions, and grammar floated in the air  
>around her, she was busy scribbling music in her<br>notebook.

The strange songs that she was somehow familiar  
>with were now effortlessly pouring from her pencil.<p>

By the time the bell rang, telling her it was time to  
>change into her P.E. clothes, she had just finished<br>transcribing a song that brought a tear to her eye for  
>some reason.<p>

'They wrote it for me.'

* * *

><p>"Mio-senpai could write such beautiful songs," she<br>said out loud while she sat with her legs held tightly  
>in her arms on the track that circled the athletic field.<p>

"Huh?"

Ignoring Jun, she remained focused on the toes of her  
>shoes.<p>

"They sounded silly and cutesy, but they had good  
>messages and she was the best at writing lyrics."<p>

Jun waved her hand in front of Azusa's blank face.

"They were all so good at what they did. How can we  
>have a Light Music Club without them?"<p>

"UUuuugh! Yui and Mio, Ritsu and Mugi…they're all you  
>talk about now!"<p>

Azusa slowly turned to look at her.

"Why can't you live here and now? I'm not going along  
>with this plan of yours if you just keep thinking about<br>people that don't exist!"

* * *

><p>Azusa sat in her room. The daylight was fading and<br>the frustrated girl was lying on her bed, staring at the  
>ceiling.<p>

'Jun's probably right. Why can't I live in the now?'

She rolled onto her stomach and hid her mouth behind  
>her folded arms.<p>

'That feels like a dream now...  
>this feels like a dream then...'<p>

'I wonder what's going on. Maybe there's a way to  
>prove which is real.'<p>

The girl sat up quickly in her bed.

"Like when a person is better at something in a dream  
>than in real life!"<p>

Azusa looked aroud the room for something to prove  
>her hypothesis.<p>

'Maybe sports?'

She picked up a rubber handball on her nightstand  
>and threw it at the wall.<p>

It came straight back and hit her between the eyes  
>which tilted her head back enough that she could<br>watch the ball fly up into the air, bounce against the  
>ceiling, and come right back down to strike her in the<br>same place again.

Thoroughly stunned, Azusa sat perfectly still for a  
>moment.<p>

"No, I guess not."

She leaned to her right and fell down against the bed.

"That hurt."


	9. Fever

Another day had passed with her friends by her side.

Another day of tea and conversation.

But, as with every day, visiting hours eventually came  
>to an end and they were once again cleaning away<br>cups while bidding their farewells.

The nurse came in only a moment later. The girl  
>instantly perked up when the door opened. This was<br>a special night because, for the first time, the nurse  
>came with Azusa's dinner. She placed the tray on the<br>roll-up table and helped the excited young patient fix  
>her bed upright.<p>

"Thank you," she began, "I hope my friends aren't a  
>bother coming to visit me."<p>

The nurse paused for just a moment to give a small  
>frown, but replied quickly.<p>

"They're no problem. Tell me, do they visit you often?"

"Every day. They spend all of visiting hours here."

"Well, as long as they only come during visiting hours  
>they should be fine," she said with some relief, "you<br>still need to be resting."

The nurse lifted the plastic cover to reveal a very plain  
>dinner of tapioca pudding.<p>

A low rumble came from the girl's stomach and she  
>quickly covered it with her hands. She looked down to<br>hide her bright red face.

"I'm sorry," she said, "I guess I was just hoping for a  
>dinner that's a little more filling."<p>

"That's alright. You're still getting better so we don't  
>want you to have anything too heavy right away."<p>

The nurse brushed Azusa's hair away from her face  
>and rested her hand on top of her head.<p>

"Remember to push the call button if you need  
>anything."<p>

Azusa nodded and picked up her spoon while  
>imagining a bowl of hot pork ramen.<p> 


	10. This is Not How I Am

There was no reason for Azusa to leave her house  
>today.<p>

It was a Saturday and she did not feel like facing Jun.

After the scene yesterday, there was no reason that  
>she would want to do so.<p>

Even though she felt this way, Azusa knew that she  
>had to mend hurt feelings.<p>

With some hesitation, she picked up her phone. After  
>just a few seconds, she had selected the right name<br>from her recent contacts list, but she could only look  
>at it. She stared at the number, waiting for some sign<br>to proceed…

...for some sign to stop.

Like peeling off a bandage, the twin-tailed girl pushed  
>the button as quickly as she could. Her eyes shut<br>when she brought the phone to her ear.

Three seconds passed.

Five seconds passed.

Ten seconds passed.

Fifteen seconds passed and there was still no  
>dial-tone.<p>

That was when she remembered.

Azusa looked at the screen of her phone.

Pushing the button last time only took the number  
>from the 'contacts' list and moved it to a new menu<br>that showed Jun's full name, number, and address.

'That was a good practice,' she thought to herself,  
>'now for the real thing.'<p>

* * *

><p>"I'm sorry about yesterday," Azusa apologized quickly<br>with her head bowed, "I've just been feeling so  
>strangely."<p>

Jun smiled and patted her friend on the head.

They were in Azusa's room together less than an hour  
>after the phone call; both eager to make up.<p>

"That's okay. I overreacted yesterday. I guess I was  
>just getting a little jealous of your imaginary friends."<p>

Those words hurt her a little. Even though they were  
>only in her dreams, Azusa still felt an emotional<br>attachment to the four girls who had been so good to  
>her.<p>

"Anyway," Jun continued, oblivious to Azusa's feelings,  
>"let's get back to this club that you want to make. I<br>think if we put up flyers we could attract more people.  
>There are probably more than just Jazz Club members<br>who would be interested. And if we practiced in that  
>empty music room we might get some more attention."<p>

The black-haired girl smiled and nodded her head.


	11. No More

The doctor that came in the next day was different  
>from the others.<p>

He did not wear a stethoscope. He did not check her  
>ears or eyes and he did not ask her to say 'aaah' so<br>he could look at her throat. In fact he did not touch  
>her at all.<p>

He was a kind gentleman with greying hair. Not quite  
>old, but definitely not a young man anymore. His<br>reading glasses poked out from the breast-pocket of  
>his labcoat along with a mechanical pencil made of<br>polished wood that belonged in the same set as the  
>pen he was currently using to write on his chart. The<br>skin on his face looked soft and smooth, as if his daily  
>shave renewed its youthful appearance.<p>

He stood at the foot of Azusa's bed as he questioned  
>her with his soft, gentle voice.<p>

"What is the last thing you remember?"

"I remember waking up here. What happened?"

"I can't answer that. I am trying to find out if your  
>memory is coming back. Now, what have you been<br>doing since coming to the hospital?"

Azusa sighed at his response and rested against her  
>pillow.<p>

"Nothing really. Just passing the time with my friends."

"What are your friends' full names?"

"Mio Akiyama, Tsumugi Kotobuki, Ritsu Tainaka, and  
>Yui Hirasawa."<p>

"All your friends from the Light Music Club?"

"Yes sir."

"You seem like a close group."

"We are sir."

He wrote a few things down on his clip board and  
>looked up.<p>

"Have you seen your teacher yet?"

"No sir. Has she come when I was asleep?"

He gave a weak smile, "Not that I know of."

"What about my parents? They had to have come."

The weak smile disappeared for just a moment before  
>he could compose himself.<p>

"Nobody else has come to see you. I'm sorry."

There was a brief silence as his words sank in and the  
>girl tried, for only a few seconds, to uncover the true<br>meaning in his words. It was not long before she  
>broke the quiet again.<p>

"I've also been having strange dreams. Should I be  
>worried?"<p>

"'Strange?' How 'strange?'"

"I imagine I'm back at school, but my friends don't  
>exist."<p>

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, as if  
>contemplating his response.<p>

"Dreams occur when the mind is resting. Everyone  
>has strange dreams. They might be memories you are<br>trying to remember or forget. Don't let them bother  
>you too much."<p>

"But they seem so real."

The doctor made a few more notes and then tucked  
>the board under his arm and put the pen in the pocket<br>of the lab coat next to the pencil.

"I think for right now you shouldn't worry. I will see  
>you again in a few days. Let the nurse know if you<br>remember anything."

"Yes sir."


	12. Stand Up

"I've been thinking," Azusa said to Jun one day in the  
>new clubroom, "what if this is the dream and the other<br>world is real?"

"This is the real world."

"How can you know that?"

"I'm real."

"How can I know for sure?"

Jun stared at her friend, a little annoyed by her doubt.

"I'm real."

"There has to be a way to prove it."

Jun thought for a moment.

"Oh! I've got it! In dreams people are able to do  
>things they normally couldn't. Maybe you're better at<br>sports."

With that, Jun threw a rubber handball at Azusa and it  
>bounced easily off the girl's forehead, knocking her<br>head back a little.

"No, I guess not."

Azusa sighed and rubbed her head.

"I've already tried that."


	13. It's Working

Though the other girls had decided to leave for a few  
>hours during lunch time, Yui chose to keep her junior<br>company. This was of little use because, within  
>minutes, she was curled up in one of the chairs,<br>sleeping softly in the afternoon sun that warmed the  
>one corner of the room while Azusa read a book that<br>her friends had brought for her.

Ui came in at lunchtime with a bento box wrapped up  
>in a blue and white striped cloth. Immediately, Azusa<br>placed her finger to her lips and mouthed a 'sshhh' in  
>order to prevent any unnecessary disturbance. Ui<br>softly closed the door and tiptoed over to the bed.

"I brought you something to eat. Don't force yourself  
>though," Ui whispered to her friend.<p>

Azusa put down her book and looked at the box,  
>happy to have a home-cooked meal.<p>

"I'm sorry I haven't visited yet, I hope you haven't  
>been too lonely."<p>

"I feel a little spoiled actually," she looked over to the  
>senior who spent every moment she could at the<br>hospital with her. "You must be getting lonely by  
>yourself all the time. I just wish my mother and father<br>would come to see me."

Ui tried to hide a small tear that welled up in her right  
>eye.<p>

"I'm alright. You shouldn't worry about me. You only  
>need to get better."<p>

The younger Hirasawa untied the cloth and opened  
>the box to reveal a simple, but mouth-watering meal.<p>

"I checked with the doctor to make sure you were  
>allowed to have this."<p>

'How can she make white rice and a plain omelet look  
>so good?'<p>

Yui's nose twitched and she shifted in the chair.

Azusa had instantly shifted her gaze to her. Startled  
>by her friend's sudden movement, she followed<br>Azusa's line of sight to where Yui was sleeping.

Azusa let out a small chuckle.

"One of Yui-senpai's favorites?"

With a small smile, Ui nodded.


	14. That'll Keep You Going

Azusa was filling in the application form for the new  
>club before going to bed.<p>

She filled in each line while quietly reading every word  
>out loud.<p>

"Name: Light Music Club…Supervisor: Yamanaka  
>Sawako-Sensei…Members: Azusa Nakano…Jun<br>Suzuki…Mio Akiyama…Yui Hirasawa…"

Her whispers trailed off as she wrote these last  
>names, realizing what she was doing.<p>

After a few moments, she erased them.

"I'll leave the last few blank for now I guess."

Azusa leaned back in her chair and stretched her arms  
>and legs with a yawn. She opened and closed her fists<br>while rolling her head from side to side.

Her head began hurting again as it had for the past  
>several days.<p>

She picked up a bottle of aspirin her mother had given  
>her. The pills were larger than the usual kind, but<br>mother said they would be strong enough to take the  
>headaches away.<p>

After a drink of water to help swallow the capsule, she  
>returned to the form.<p>

"Purpose: Write and perform...original music...for the  
>school faculty...and...students...at festivals...and<br>welcoming...ceremonies."

The night had been wearing on and her eyelids were  
>slowly closing. The soft glow from the lamp and the<br>warm air made her desk seem like the perfect place to  
>sleep and her arm the perfect pillow.<p>

"Desired meeting place: Upstairs music room…  
>Estimated…budget…and…its…purpose…"<p>

Before she could finish, the girl was sleeping soundly  
>with the pen still in hand.<p> 


	15. It's Time to Go

Azusa had grown accustomed to her daily regimen in  
>the hospital. Each day would begin with her friends<br>around her. They would usually leave before the  
>nurse came with her lunch at noon and her medication<br>at 3 o'clock.

In the little cup would be her three pills: the white pill  
>and the red pill that were her antibiotics and the<br>round white pill with a '3' stamped on it was for pain.

Today, there was another pill.

It was a small, round, pale-yellow pill marked with a  
>'C 11' mixed in with the others.<p>

"What's this one for?" she asked the nurse as she  
>was handed another paper cup filled halfway with<br>water.

There was some hesitation before she replied.

"The doctor thinks that it will help your memory," she  
>answered after giving the question some thought. "It<br>might make you sick, but it will help you."

"Oh," she said, partly to herself, before opening her  
>mouth and placing the pills as far back on her tongue<br>as possible. She sipped at the cool water and let out  
>a sigh.<p>

"Am I really getting better?" she asked the nurse, who  
>was busy checking the clipboard that had Azusa's<br>entire life summarized on just a few filled in lines.

"Of course little one," she answered, her voice  
>cracking out of sympathy, "you just need more time.<br>Don't worry, you'll be alright."

After the nurse had gone, her friends came back.

"You don't have to leave every time they come in,"  
>she reassured them, "the nurse said she doesn't mind<br>that you're here."

The four girls again exchanged glances before coming  
>to a unified agreement.<p>

"We just want to be sure we're out of the way," Ritsu  
>said casually, justifying their behavior.<p> 


	16. Receding Parts I Through IX

Azusa awoke under a large tree that was shading her  
>from the warm mid-morning sun that now cast the<br>world in a bright, playful light.

She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and placed her  
>hands on the soft, cool grass that blanketed the<br>ground so she could sit up.

She looked out to the vast field before her. The blades  
>of grass rippled in wide, sweeping waves as gentle<br>breezes passed by.

"Where am I now?" she mused lazily to herself.

She looked down and saw she was wearing a pale  
>blue dress with a white pinafore, long white stockings<br>and black shoes with straps that crossed over the  
>tops of her feet and buckled to the sides. Though her<br>hair was tied in the usual twin-tails, a ribbon the  
>same shade as her dress with white lace was<br>unnecessarily adorning her head.

"Did I mug a loli?"

It was at this moment that she saw a flash of white.


	17. Receding Parts X Through XI

Listen to me. Trust nothing. From now on, trust nothing you see, hear or feel.

~The Doctor

* * *

><p>She watched as the long-haired blonde, dressed<br>in a white bunny-girl outfit with black nylons, a  
>white, form-fitting, sleeveless coat with tails,<br>carrying an oversized gold pocket-watch on a  
>chain ran past her.<p>

After seeing this, she leaned back, rested her  
>head against the tree and folded her hands in<br>her lap. She closed her eyes and breathed in the  
>gentle, alluring fragrance of buttercups that filled<br>the air.

'I don't even care.'

After a few moments, she heard a soft footfall  
>coming from behind her.<p>

She opened her right eye and looked up at the  
>girl peeking out from behind the tree.<p>

"Um…you're supposed to follow me."

"Why?"

"Because that's how the story goes."

"What if I don't want to be a part of this story?"

The bunny-girl's fake ears drooped a little and a  
>forlorn look crossed her face.<p>

"Please do. If you don't I'll be…I'll be…"

Small tears formed in her eyes and her voice  
>began to crack.<p>

"I'm still not going to do it."

After letting out a sigh, the bunny-girl continued.

"I suppose I will need this then."

With those words, she hoisted a large wooden  
>mallet over her right shoulder.<p>

"Wait! What's that for?"

"I'm…um…I'm…what's the word?" She put her left  
>hand up to her chin in a thoughtful manner. "I'm<br>fretting? Treading? Threading? Threaten- That's  
>it! I'm threatening you," she said happily.<p>

"That doesn't sound very convincing."

"Oh please," she begged.

With a sigh, Azusa stood and dusted off her  
>dress.<p>

"Alright, where are we going?"

"This way!" The bunny-girl happily tossed the  
>mallet to the side and ran deep into the woods.<p>

Azusa watched the mallet land on the grass with  
>a muted 'thump' and stayed where she was.<p>

Again, the bunny-girl softly came back.

"You're supposed to chase me."

"Can't you just lead me there normally?"

She smiled with closed eyes, shook her head 'no'  
>and waited for the reluctant heroine to accept<br>the terms of their story's progression.

"Alright, fine. The sooner we do this the sooner I  
>can go back to my normal life…right?"<p>

She nodded.

"I'm most likely going to lose track of you after I  
>fall down the…well…you know…so why don't you<br>tell me what to do afterward?"

"I'm sure you can figure it out on your own."

The girl's head sank and she stared at the shiny  
>toes of her shoes.<p>

"Whenever you're ready," she whispered, and,  
>by the time she looked back up, all she could see<br>was the bouncing cotton-tail of the bunny-girl.

With another sigh, Azusa ran after her.

'How can she run so well in high-heels?'

It was not long before the bunny-girl  
>disappeared behind a tree and Azusa lost sight<br>of her. When she made it past the tree, there  
>was a large opening that would have been more<br>suited for a well than a rabbit-hole.

After peering into the darkness, she called down,  
>"I'm not jumping in there."<p>

"Very well…"

With a push from behind, a startled Azusa fell  
>into the abyss.<p>

She looked back up to the opening to see the  
>blonde bunny-girl smiling as she waved to her.<p>

After tumbling for some time, she finally righted.  
>Azusa resolved herself to the fall, crossed her<br>arms and frowned, her dress magically staying  
>down to preserve her modesty.<p>

"No, I won't say 'latitude' or 'longitude' in an  
>inappropriate way," she declared to nobody in<br>particular, however, reason began to take its  
>hold. "But…terminal velocity occurs at–Ooomph!"<p>

With that, she landed face-down on a bed of  
>straw.<p>

With a few grumbles, she stood and walked to  
>the end of the long passageway, swiping the<br>cold metal key from the glass table as she went.

"I am NOT going to do this more than once," she,  
>again, declared to the author of this cliché.<p>

She placed it forcefully into the key-hole, turned  
>back to the table to pick up the bottle that had<br>magically appeared, removed the cork, and took  
>a small sip.<p>

After the dizzying transformation, she turned  
>back to the door only to see that the key was<br>gone and had been replaced to its previous  
>location.<p>

With her grumpiest face, she shook her tiny right  
>fist up at the ceiling.<p>

"Well my clothes shrank with me; did you ever  
>stop to think about the physical impossibility of<br>that?" she shouted upward.

Without warning, her attire returned to its  
>previous state, leaving Azusa lost within the folds<br>of the dress.

"I'm Sorry! I'm Sorry! Please change it back!"

After much rustling and fidgeting, she was soon  
>properly dressed once again.<p>

When she looked back down the hall, the door  
>had been opened, revealing a bright garden.<p>

She smiled up at the ceiling. 'Thank you,' she  
>mouthed and walked to the opening.<p>

"Wait, I'm supposed to get wet from a pool–"

Azusa was interrupted when a bucket's worth of  
>water fell on her head.<p>

She narrowed her eyes and looked straight  
>forward.<p>

"I take back my 'thank you.'"

With that, she stalked through the door and into  
>the sunlight.<p>

"My, my," came a truly concerned voice from  
>above her, "how did you get wet?"<p>

Azusa looked up to see a short-haired girl with  
>glasses holding a clipboard and pen sitting<br>gracefully upon a toadstool. The long, flowing  
>robes she wore and the ornate design that<br>covered the blue garment gave her the  
>appearance of a caterpillar.<p>

"I thought there was supposed to be a pool  
>and–"<p>

"A pool? Oh, yes…we moved it. Too many people  
>were falling in. It just wasn't sensible."<p>

The girl let out another sigh. She had been  
>sighing a lot since she woke up.<p>

"Anyway…wasn't I supposed to find a caucus  
>race and the rabbit's house before I met you?"<p>

"You were," a voice interrupted from her left, "but  
>there was a limited cast."<p>

She looked over to spot the chrysanthemum that  
>had spoken up.<p>

"What about the other classmates?" suggested a  
>petunia.<p>

"But nobody really knows their names," a lily  
>offered.<p>

"Will you all shut-up?" interrupted a daffodil.  
>"You're breaking the fourth wall!"<p>

"Look, she clearly understands that this is a  
>dream, and a poorly devised one at that. We're<br>not even in the first story."

"Neither are those two numpties that are going  
>to show up later, but nobody really knows that."<p>

"I blame Disne–."

"Hey! We can't say that! It's a copyrighted  
>name."<p>

"Will all of you shut-up?"

The bickering ceased after they were given one  
>cross look from the toadstool's occupant.<p>

With the flower bed silenced, she looked back to  
>Azusa with a smile.<p>

"How can I help you?"

"Well, I suppose I need to find the Duchess'  
>house, get the baby that turns into a pig, release<br>it into the woods, and then find the tea party."

"You're making things too complicated for  
>yourself," she said, politely dismissing the girl's<br>plans and looking over her notes. "I think we can  
>cut these out of your schedule," she said,<br>crossing a few items off the list, "if you want to  
>get to the tea party, it's that way."<p>

The girl looked in the direction that the robed  
>one was pointing before turning back to her. She<br>was now writing even more in her notes and  
>paying little heed to Azusa.<p>

"You're very strange," the twin-tailed girl said.

"I suppose I could say the same of you," she  
>said, looking up with a friendly smile.<p>

Defeated by the logical one, she tore two pieces  
>from the toadstool and placed them in her<br>pockets.

"Why are you doing that?"

"So I can eat them later. I'm supposed to,  
>aren't I?"<p>

"No," she said with much concern, "you should  
>never eat mushrooms unless you know they're<br>safe."

The girl took the two pieces from her pockets and  
>let them fall to the ground. When she noticed<br>that the girl had returned to writing in her notes,  
>Azusa left without another word.<p>

As she passed a clearing, she spotted two  
>figures in the field happily playing leap-frog. They<br>were wearing matching red jumpers, yellow  
>shirts, and little red and yellow caps. One had her<br>short, brown hair tied into a sensible little  
>pony-tail and the other had her somewhat short,<br>frizzy brown hair tied into a tuft on each side of  
>her head.<p>

Very quietly, Azusa snuck past the two and  
>continued on her way.<p>

"They aren't in this story. They aren't in this  
>story. They aren't in this story," she repeated to<br>herself softly as if it were a mantra.

When she finally walked from under the dark  
>canopy of the forest, she saw a table surrounded<br>by an assortment of chairs and set with a wide  
>variety of cups, saucers, plates, and teapots. The<br>house behind them very much resembled a large  
>yellow drum kit.<p>

Those seated around the long table were as  
>varied as the china itself.<p>

A girl with short, brown hair, wearing mouse ears  
>and a grey sleeper was dozing peacefully with<br>her face in a plate that was covered in crumbs.  
>The fork in her hands held one final bite of<br>strawberry cake. Her sleep was disturbed every  
>now and then by an outburst from the other two<br>who were seated at the head of the table.

One had short, brown hair and wore a  
>golden-hued bunny-girl outfit and matching ears<br>that were slightly crumpled. Her untidy  
>appearance matched the rambunctious<br>personality of the wearer. Her white cuffs were  
>tea-stained in a few places, her bow-tie was<br>crooked and she did not fill out her costume as  
>well as the final guest did.<p>

Her companion at the head of the table wore  
>almost the same outfit, but her suit was a light<br>maroon and she wore a white and black  
>checkered coat with tails and wide lapels that<br>she would, it seemed, try to pull closed so she  
>could hide what the garment underneath did not.<br>She wore a matching checkered bowtie and  
>perched atop her head of long, silky, dark hair<br>was a tall, widely flared, black top hat with a red  
>band around it.<p>

Azusa approached, it seemed, in the middle of a  
>conversation.<p>

"…but he never actually referred to me as _The  
>Mad Ha<em>–"

The speech was cut short upon the arrival of the  
>final guest.<p>

"Well, well, well, well, well, well," the spunky  
>rabbit said while eyeing their new visitor, "who<br>might you be?"

"I'm–"

"A KITTY!" the napping one suddenly exclaimed  
>before pouncing happily on Azusa.<p>

It was at this moment that the white rabbit from  
>before came running up to the table, out of<br>breath as she clutched her watch to her chest.

"Thank goodness!" she cried, "I though I would  
>be late."<p>

Carefully, Azusa took the watch from her hands  
>and studied it.<p>

"This is a pocket barometer."

"So it is," the bunny-girl agreed with a smile after  
>giving it another glance, "I suppose there was<br>nothing to worry about after all."

"No," the girl disagreed, "maybe there's a lot you  
>should worry about now."<p>

After they had settled down, another serving of  
>cake was passed around.<p>

"You're not eating yours," the golden rabbit  
>teased her friend.<p>

"We haven't left this table for a long time," her  
>hatted friend defended, "If I eat too many<br>sweets I'll…" her voice trailed off.

"Hmmmm...will it go here?" the other girl said  
>while playfully poking her friend in the side. "Or<br>here…or here…or here?"

Each new attack brought a shriek from the  
>helpless one who now had her eyes closed as<br>she tried to curl into a ball on the chair, facing  
>away from the rabbit.<p>

"Or maybe it goes _here_," the rabbit proclaimed  
>while groping the girl's chest from behind with<br>both hands.

A heavy left fist to the attacker's head brought  
>her down to the feet of the girl who was now<br>standing, seething with anger.

After a few moments, she composed herself  
>while the rabbit meekly slipped back into her<br>chair.

"I have a question for you," the well-endowed  
>girl asked, changing her focus back to the girl in<br>the blue dress.

"Because Poe wrote on both!" Azusa shouted  
>excitedly.<p>

Everyone in attendance looked at the girl with  
>wide eyes.<p>

"No," the girl began again, only slightly  
>unnerved, "how do you like your tea?"<p>

The white bunny had finished pouring each cup  
>and was now ready to add any sugar or cream<br>that Azusa wanted.

"The cake was so dry without you here to serve  
>tea," the mouse whined.<p>

"You ate it anyway," reminded the short haired  
>rabbit.<p>

"When's The Queen supposed to show up?" the  
>mouse said, changing the subject.<p>

A shriek came from the one seated at the head  
>of the table.<p>

"She won't make me wear anything even more  
>embarrassing this time, will she?"<p>

"She was supposed to be here at 1011 hPa. Do  
>you think she got lost?" the white bunny-girl<br>asked anxiously.

"That's possible with her sense of direction,"  
>sighed the other rabbit.<p>

Almost on cue, there was a rustling in the woods  
>behind them...<p>

...then _She_ appeared.

The Queen wore an elegant, though slightly  
>disheveled, red dress adorned with ribbons and<br>hearts. She was tired, out of breath, and  
>appeared to be on the verge of tears as she<br>stumbled out of the wood.

She spent a few moments adjusting her clothes,  
>then the Queen turned her attention to the<br>members of the tea party.

After just one glance at each guest, her eyes  
>finally came to rest on Azusa. They narrowed<br>behind her small glasses as she licked her lips.

Instantly, she pointed her scepter at the girl and  
>shouted:<p>

"Off with her clothes!"

Before Azusa could protest, the two bunny-girls  
>and the mouse were holding her down to the<br>table as the Queen closed the distance between  
>them in just two long strides. The last member of<br>the party curled as far into her chair as she  
>possibly could, trying to make herself go<br>unnoticed.

Without a wasted motion, or moment of indecent  
>exposure that can be mentioned here, the pale<br>blue dress, white pinafore, long white stockings,  
>and black shoes were replaced by a snuggly<br>fitting body-suit and long tail both with broad  
>bands of alternating light and dark purple. Her<br>hands and feet were covered by large plush  
>paws and a nekomimi took the place of the<br>unnecessary ribbon.

"Perfect!" was the Queen's only reply as she  
>gazed at her work, and the three responsible for<br>her capture were now around her; fawning over  
>her, petting her, scratching her behind the fake<br>ears, and tempting her with a cat toy.

'Just disappear,' she thought to herself as she  
>hung her head and closed her eyes, 'I just want<br>to disappear.'

When she opened her eyes again, she was  
>alone in a familiar upstairs room with wooden<br>floors and large windows that let in the setting  
>sun's light and dressed in her usual school<br>uniform.

Frantically, she was turning, wandering,  
>searching all about the room for the other usual<br>occupants.

It was at this moment that Azusa realized she  
>was completely alone.<p>

"NO! DON'T GO AWAY!"

She fell to her knees on the clubroom floor and  
>covered her eyes.<p>

"I won't get mad at you anymore for drinking tea  
>in the clubroom and goofing off -sob- just please<br>don't leave me!"

"You're a good girl, Azu-nyan. Don't cry."

"We will always be with you."

"Don't go!"

Their voices gradually faded away.

"Don't leave me!"

* * *

><p>This could be the dream. I told you, trust nothing we see or hear or feel. Look around you. Examine everything. Look for all the details that don't ring true.<p>

~The Doctor


	18. The Child is Grown, The Dream is Gone

Days passed in much the same way. They would  
>spend all of visiting hours together having tea<br>and then do it again the next day when she  
>awoke.<p>

With each day, Azusa grew stronger. The I.V.  
>was eventually removed and the doctors were<br>now only taking tests to make sure her body was  
>responding to her medication. She was even able<br>to take short walks around her floor as long as  
>she went with the, now empty, rolling I.V. stand.<p>

She was recovering, but the new medication had  
>her feeling strange.<p>

"Would you like a hot cup of tea?"

"Yes please."

The day had worn on at a miserable pace for  
>someone confined to her bed. Azusa burned her<br>fingers on the dainty teacup, shocked by the  
>unexpected sting. When she finally was able to<br>bring the bowl-sized cup to her lips, she found  
>that the tea was almost frozen.<p>

"Mugi-senpai, this is really cold," she coughed,  
>putting down the thimble.<p>

"I know. I asked if you wanted a hot cup of tea."

This caught Azusa off her guard and, while she  
>was trying to find a reply, she bit into a pastry.<p>

A pastry that Mugi had brought.

A pastry that did not have any filling.

Before the feeling of defeat could take a stronger  
>hold on her, Azusa gave up on her tea and<br>changed the subject.

"I don't want to sound ungrateful for the visits,  
>but don't you have things you need to do now<br>that you've graduated?"

"No," Ritsu answered absent-mindedly while  
>dropping a card onto the pile that was building<br>on the chess board between her and Mio, "we  
>don't have anything we need to do anymore.<br>BINGO, Mio."

"Aren't you just being lazy, Ritsu-senpai?"

"No she's not," Mugi joined in with a somber  
>tone, "we really don't."<p>

A heavy silence fell over the group and the four  
>older girls stared at various objects or corners of<br>the room.

"Okay," Azusa declared, "I want to know what's  
>going on. Why are you all acting so strangely?"<p>

They all exchanged glances before Mio took it  
>upon herself to speak.<p>

"I think it's time she knew," she said to the  
>others.<p>

Slowly, one by one, Mugi, then Ritsu, then Yui, all  
>nodded in agreement.<p>

Mio gracefully came to Azusa's side. She placed  
>her left hand against her junior's right cheek and<br>brushed the long strands of hair away. Her  
>fingers moved up to lift up Azusa's bangs.<p>

Mio gently placed her forehead to Azusa's.

Mio felt cool.

Almost cold.

Her touch left a tingling sensation on her skin  
>long after she pulled away.<p>

"What did you do?"

"Just wait, it will come back slowly."

She could remember the day of graduation.

"Don't you remember?" Yui began, "We were  
>going over to Mugi-chan's house after school."<p>

"We all got into Sawa-chan's car to go," Ritsu  
>continued, "We had to cram in to fit."<p>

"We were all so close together," Mugi sighed,  
>placing her hands on her blushing cheeks.<p>

Mio cleared her throat to bring attention back to  
>the situation at hand.<p>

"Do you remember now Azusa?" she asked in a  
>more serious tone.<p>

Their junior gave it some thought before  
>speaking.<p>

The memories suddenly came flooding back.

"I do," she said with some horror, "the accident."

"You're so smart Azu-nyan!" Yui declared before  
>hugging her neck.<p>

"Why are you so happy?" she asked again while  
>trying to get out of the vice. "Anyway, are all of<br>you alright? You all seem to have made it  
>through just fine."<p>

"Oh no, we're dead, Azu-nyan," Yui continued  
>happily.<p>

"What!"

"We were killed in the accident," she restated as  
>she pulled away to look her in the eye.<p>

Azusa looked to the other girls. Their faces did  
>not seem to deny the statement.<p>

"What's going on?" she asked in a whisper.

"We died in the accident Azusa," Mio confirmed,  
>"You were the only one to make it out alive."<p>

"No," the girl shook her head violently, "you're  
>not dead! You're all right here with me! Why are<br>you saying such mean things!"

"Don't you remember Azu-nyan?" Yui asked. "You  
>said you never wanted us to leave you. Now we<br>can be with you forever!"

The senior clung even tighter to the younger  
>girl's neck.<p>

"NO!" she screamed, "YOU'RE NOT DEAD! YOU'RE  
>NOT DEAD! YOU'RE ALL STILL ALIVE! YOU'RE ALL<br>GOING TO COLLEGE TOGETHER! YOU'RE STILL  
>ALIVE!"<p>

The four girls stepped aside so the nurses that  
>were rushing in could sedate the girl.<p> 


	19. Epilogue aka I Have Become

Azusa Nakano sat in the room at the table. She  
>was dressed in her school uniform and in<br>between her twin-tails sat a pair of black  
>nekomimi. There were five places set, including<br>her own, and she was busy pouring tea and  
>placing a piece of cake on each plate.<p>

"Isn't it wonderful that we get to spend so much  
>time together now?" she asked her friends with<br>a smile on her face.

Yui nodded 'yes' happily while putting a bite into  
>her mouth that was slightly too large.<p>

"You need to be more careful, Yui-senpai. You got  
>icing on your cheek."<p>

Asusa picked up a napkin and gently wiped the  
>older girl's face.<p>

"I'm glad they let me have a bigger room. We  
>would have been so cramped in that other one."<p>

From the opposite side of the one way glass, her  
>parents and the doctor were carefully watching<br>Azusa take tea with her invisible friends.

"Do you think she'll be alright, doctor?" Azusa's  
>mother asked with tears welling in her eyes.<p>

"Of course. Mrs. Nakano," said the man who had  
>met with Azusa during her stay in the hospital,<br>"the human mind is strong and resilient, it can be  
>hurt like any other part of the body and it can<br>also heal. There is nothing wrong with her. Your  
>daughter is merely suffering from 'survivor's guilt,'<br>loneliness, and sadness from losing her best  
>friends. She has been hurt and she can recover.<br>I'm certain she will come to terms with the  
>accident. She just needs time."<p>

"But she didn't even notice when we came to  
>visit her in the hospital."<p>

"We cannot put a cast around her mind to help it  
>heal, Mrs. Nakano, we cannot stitch it back<br>together and medication can only do so much.  
>Things like this take a little while. We just have to<br>be patient."

"Would it be okay if I went in to say 'goodbye' for  
>today?"<p>

"Yes, but don't deny that her friends are there."

"Is it safe to reinforce this behavior?"

"Maybe not, but it would be even worse right  
>now to tell her otherwise."<p>

Azusa's parents walked into the room and over  
>to their daughter. She happily put down the cup<br>and received their hugs and kisses.

"We have to go today, my love. Be good and do  
>what the doctors tell you, okay?"<p>

"Yes mama," she answered, though not very  
>enthusiastically.<p>

After they left, Azusa returned to the tea-party.

"They all seem to think that I'm crazy for talking  
>to you."<p>

The four looked at each other with some worry.

"They will keep thinking that until you let us go."


	20. A Message and a Thank You

I suppose here would be an appropriate place to put a message. I do not use author's notes often because they seem to break the flow of the story and I believe that, if I have done my job, I should not have to explain pieces of a chapter.

First of all, thank you to all readers as well as reviewers.

I published my first story two years ago and, at the time, I thought I would only ever post one.

Needless to say, this has been quite fun. I have several more stories in progress and I hope to have another uploaded soon.

For those of you who do not know, I will never begin publishing a story that is not finished. This story was complete before I put out the first chapter and the only thing keeping me from updating faster was my constant proofreading, editing, and formatting.

I hope you enjoyed the story.

I confess, the idea came from another fanfiction that I cannot find at the moment. In it, Azusa is beaten by her fellow bandmates, stabbed (if I remember correctly), has her eyes gouged out, and told that she is to live in the clubroom forever because she wished for them to never leave. I liked the concept but hoped to make it a little less gruesome and more supernatural. If anyone knows which story this is, I will update this message to include the title and author.

As for the story itself, I had intended for it to be only one chapter. However, this seemed like too little to describe what was going on. Even after lengthening the storyline and breaking it into several chapters, it was extremely predictable. Because of this, I added the second storyline with Azusa at school where the other bandmembers do not exist. The Alice's Adventures in Wonderland chapters came partly from a desire to make a parody of this story, party from a desire to cast Mugi as the White Rabbit, and mosty from a desire to have Azusa say the 'loli' line.

There have been a few comparisons of this story to Inception which, I must admit, I have never seen. This is not to say that I believe my idea is completely original, but only to say that any similarities were not intended. I suppose I should watch Inception now. I actually based the alternating storylines on an episode of Doctor Who called "Amy's Choice" where the characters are in two different realities and must decide which one is real and which one is fake.

I hope this was entertaining. There were some references and jokes for those of you who are really familiar with the K-ON anime and manga, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, and Through the Looking Glass. If not, then I hope the story convinced you to watch and read.

I suppose now I should finish some other story. It will most likely be a Fullmetal Alchemist fanfiction that I have been working on. I have wanted to do one for that series for quite some time.

Thank you again,

~Floydgoneawry

* * *

><p>UPDATE:<p>

Since publishing, I have had a few readers direct me to the correct story mentioned above.

It is "waltz" by some1else. It is a bit heavy, but it is also the reason this story was written.


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